Popular destinations for UK expats and migrants prove to be even more desirable destinations since Covid-19 swept the globe
If the coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, it’s how quickly life can change. This has helped us to appreciate life more and look at doing things we might not have done before, such as moving to a new country.
The virus has touched every corner of the world but some countries have dealt with the pandemic better than others. Some have been impacted less because of their size and location while others have implemented strict rules such as those seen in New Zealand and Australia, so what are the best countries to consider moving to?
Bloomberg has developed a Covid Resilience Ranking which aims to calculate which countries are best coping with the pandemic and therefore being more attractive places to live. Fortunately many destinations that are popular with British migrants and expats, who have moved or wish to work abroad, are on top of the list.
Moving Overseas, Which Countries Make a Good Destination?
You’ve only got to look at Australia and New Zealand to see how countries can successfully contain and manage a pandemic. Both of these countries have been able to live a relatively normal life by closing borders and implementing strict lockdowns when required and that makes them an extremely safe option should you be considering migrating.
Singapore has also proved just how easy it is to manage a pandemic, as it is now benefiting from a fast roll-out of vaccines. It is clear to see how these countries have adopted a different approach, and how important that is in keeping residents safe and the country in a good position economically, especially considering the position of countries like India and Brazil
Of course, if you are looking to migrate to the likes of New Zealand or Australia then it helps to know that there are skill shortages too, giving you the chance to move to a country that is considered safe and has great career opportunities too.
The UAE (including Dubai) and Hong Kong are also two destinations that are popular with expats and both also rank highly in the Bloomberg Covid Resilience list, as they follow closely behind the top three of Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. This again proves how vaccine rollouts and strict lockdowns have made them desirable destinations for those looking to leave the UK.
With a perfect blend of tough border restrictions as well as a reliable test and trace system, these countries have worked hard to keep people feeling as though life has changed very little.
There are many other countries that offer a similar level of safety to that of the UK, including the likes of the USA and Canada, although you might also want to consider Portugal, Spain, Ireland and Germany, all of which are popular with people looking to leave the UK and start anew somewhere else.
All of these countries have economies that are worth more than $200 billion each month and so they are scored using Bloomberg analysis. This considers the social and economic disruption as well as death figures and infection figures along with the vaccine rollout programme.
So countries such as Singapore, New Zealand and Australia as well as countries throughout Europe all make excellent destinations to move to during covid.
There is of course the slight problem that, due to travel restrictions and border closures, it may not be possible to move in the near future. However, the list does highlight that many countries that are desirable to live in normal times became even more desirable once the challenge of the pandemic arrived.
It is also likely that the movement of people between countries at the top of the list is likely to occur sooner once vaccination programmes start taking effect.
The best places to live during the coronavirus pandemic according to the Bloomberg Covid Resilience Ranking (April 2021)
For a full explanation and the most recent rankings visit the Bloomberg website.
Rank |
Change |
Country |
Bloomberg Resilience Score |
| 1 | ▲1 | Singapore | 79.7 |
| 2 | ▼1 | New Zealand | 79.6 |
| 3 | – | Australia | 76.2 |
| 4 | ▲1 | Israel | 74.9 |
| 5 | ▼1 | Taiwan | 74.7 |
| 6 | – | South Korea | 72.7 |
| 7 | ▲1 | Japan | 70.9 |
| 8 | ▲3 | U.A.E. | 69.7 |
| 9 | ▲4 | Finland | 68.9 |
| 10 | ▲2 | Hong Kong | 68.2 |
| 11 | ▲4 | Vietnam | 67.2 |
| 12 | ▼5 | China | 67 |
| 13 | ▼4 | Thailand | 66.7 |
| 14 | – | Denmark | 66.6 |
| 15 | ▼5 | Norway | 66.6 |
| 16 | ▲1 | Saudi Arabia | 66.6 |
| 17 | ▲4 | U.S. | 65.3 |
| 18 | ▲7 | U.K. | 64.3 |
| 19 | ▼3 | Canada | 62.5 |
| 20 | ▼2 | Malaysia | 62.4 |
| 21 | ▼2 | Switzerland | 61.2 |
| 22 | – | Russia | 60.9 |
| 23 | ▲13 | Portugal | 59.7 |
| 24 | ▲10 | Spain | 59.7 |
| 25 | ▲8 | Ireland | 57.7 |
| 26 | ▼3 | Germany | 54.9 |
| 27 | ▲16 | South Africa | 54.2 |
| 28 | ▼2 | Austria | 54.2 |
| 29 | ▲9 | Nigeria | 54.1 |
| 30 | ▼10 | India | 52.4 |
| 31 | ▼1 | Belgium | 52.1 |
| 32 | ▼1 | Sweden | 52 |
| 33 | ▼4 | Netherlands | 51.7 |
| 34 | ▲8 | Indonesia | 51.1 |
| 35 | ▲2 | Pakistan | 51.1 |
| 36 | ▼4 | Chile | 50.6 |
| 37 | ▲2 | Italy | 50.4 |
| 38 | ▲10 | Egypt | 50.1 |
| 39 | ▲1 | Greece | 50 |
| 40 | ▲6 | Romania | 49.3 |
| 41 | ▼13 | Bangladesh | 49.3 |
| 42 | ▼18 | France | 48.6 |
| 43 | ▲4 | Iraq | 48 |
| 44 | ▲8 | Czech Rep | 48 |
| 45 | ▼10 | Philippines | 44.7 |
| 46 | ▼19 | Turkey | 43.6 |
| 47 | ▲2 | Peru | 43.5 |
| 48 | ▲5 | Mexico | 43 |
| 49 | ▼8 | Iran | 42.8 |
| 50 | ▼5 | Colombia | 41.5 |
| 51 | ▼7 | Argentina | 41.4 |
| 52 | ▼2 | Poland | 40.6 |
| 53 | ▼2 | Brazil | 39.1 |
If you are considering moving overseas or want to find out more about our service for shipping boxes, please get in touch with us for a quote.
